A marketplace for food is the basis of all trade, and the beginnings of a merchant class in society. Trade is a much surer way to wealth, and far cleaner, than grubbing about in fields. Once trading wealth is accumulated it can, of course, be taxed by the ruling classes and used to pay for something important rather than cheap baubles for some merchant's frumpy wife...

Merchant 商人Merchants are agents that work for their lord by establishing trade routes between distant foreign resources and their own local markets. Under the guise of private enterprise, merchants are able to move through enemy lands without drawing suspicion or committing a diplomatic transgression. When merchants work together so that they have a monopoly on a particular resource, they will generate extra income for their faction. Opposing merchants can attempt to make a hostile takeover of each other's assets, ending the other's career.商人為國家效力，努力開闢商路，將外地資源運至本地市場。在私人企業掩護下，商人可自由進出敵國領土而不致遭受懷疑或引發外交糾紛。多名商人合作可完全壟斷某一資源，為國家創造更多財富。懷有敵意的商人們會相互兼併對方資產，逼迫對手悲慘破產。

Merchant 商人

Merchants are agents that work for their lord by establishing trade routes between distant foreign resources and their own local markets. Under the guise of private enterprise, merchants are able to move through enemy lands without drawing suspicion or committing a diplomatic transgression. When merchants work together so that they have a monopoly on a particular resource, they will generate extra income for their faction. Opposing merchants can attempt to make a hostile takeover of each other's assets, ending the other's career.商人為國家效力，努力開闢商路，將外地資源運至本地市場。在私人企業掩護下，商人可自由進出敵國領土而不致遭受懷疑或引發外交糾紛。多名商人合作可完全壟斷某一資源，為國家創造更多財富。懷有敵意的商人們會相互兼併對方資產，逼迫對手悲慘破產。